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Friday, April 29, 2011

Cooking With Seeds Event(CWS) : Mustard Seeds

Dear friends/visitors of Sumadhura,I am very happy to announce that for the month of May 2011,Cooking With Seeds Event(CWS) started byPriya Suresh is being guest hosted by me with the star ingredient as "Mustard Seeds".Thank you Priya for giving me the opportunity to host this wonderful event.(Rules of the event are posted at the end of the post).

Star Ingredient : Mustard Seeds

Mustard seeds are very widely used in Indian cuisine and also equally in world cuisines.The seeds are usually about 1 or 2 mm in diameter. Mustard seeds may be colored from yellowish white to black. They are important spices in many regional foods.The seeds can come from three different plants: black mustard (Brassica nigra), brown Indian mustard (B. juncea), and white mustard (B. hirta/Sinapis alba).

It is known that the existence of mustard seed dates back to 5th century BCE and is also mentioned in many religious quotes.I am happy to know that mustard is very native to India and has spread from here to rest of the world.

Culinary Uses

Mustard seeds are used as a spice,and by grinding and mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, are turned into the condiment known as mustard or prepared mustard. The seeds are also pressed to make mustard oil, and the edible leaves can be eaten as mustard greens.Mustard is often used at the table as a condiment on meat. It is also used as an ingredient in mayonnaise, vinaigrette, marinades and barbecue sauce. It can also be used as a base for salad dressing when combined with vinegar and/or olive oil. Mustard is also an emulsifier which can stabilize a mixture of two or more unblendable liquids such as oil and water. Added to Hollandaise sauce, mustard can reduce the possibility of curdling.Dry mustard, typically sold in cans, is used in cooking and can be mixed with water to become prepared mustard.

Storage and Shelf Life

Because of its antibacterial properties, mustard does not require refrigeration; it will not grow mold, mildew or harmful bacteria.Unrefrigerated mustard will lose pungency more quickly, and should be stored in a tightly sealed, sterilized container in a cool, dark place.Mustard can last indefinitely, though it may dry out, lose flavor, or brown from oxidation.Mixing in a small amount of wine or vinegar will often revitalize dried out mustard. Some types of prepared mustard stored for a long time may separate, causing mustard water, which can be corrected by stirring or shaking. If stored for a long time, unrefrigerated mustard can acquire a bitter taste.

Nutritional Value

As a condiment, mustard averages approximately five calories per teaspoon.Some of the many vitamins and nutrients that mustard seeds are high in are selenium and omega 3.

Alternative Uses

There has been recent research into varieties of mustards that have a high oil content for use in the production of biodiesel, a renewable liquid fuel similar to diesel fuel. The biodiesel made from mustard oil has good cold flow properties and cetane ratings. The leftover meal after pressing out the oil has also been found to be an effective pesticide.

An interesting genetic relationship between many species of mustard has been observed, and is described as the Triangle of U.

When talking about the regional usage of mustard seeds in India,it is as follows:

Aavakaya (Telugu: ఆవకాయ),Kadugu (Tamil: கடுகு), or sasive (Kannada:ಸಾಸಿವೆ), a variety of Indian pickle consisting mainly of mangoes, red chilli powder and aavaa pindi (powdered mustard seed) preserved in mustard oil, is popular in South India with its origin in Andhra Pradesh.

These mustard seeds are known in Hindi/Urdu as sarson and in Punjabi as sarron. These are used as a spice in North India and Nepal. The seeds are usually roasted until they pop. They are also planted to grow saag (greens) which are stir-fried and eaten as a vegetable preparation, sarson ka saag (sarron da saag in Punjabi).

In Maharastra, it is called as mohari, and is used frequently in Maharastrian recipes.

Sarson ka tel (mustard oil) is used for body massage during extreme winters, as it is assumed to keep the body warm and moist.

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